Orleans bullpen quiets Falmouth

FALMOUTH – Anyway, anyhow seems to be the baseball mantra for getting runs on the scoreboard.

TIM ROHAN

FALMOUTH – Anyway, anyhow seems to be the baseball mantra for getting runs on the scoreboard.

In a game in which Orleans beat Falmouth 8-2, with the Firebirds (6-6) raking 20 hits off of Commodores' pitching, it wasn't exactly the hits that broke the game wide open.

With the game tied 2-2 in the seventh and the bases loaded, Orleans made Falmouth (6-6) pay for intentionally walking Steve Selsky (Arizona). It was only fitting that it was a walk, a bloop single, a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly that scored four runs in the inning.

“Absolutely, anything we can do to get runs,” Orleans Field manager Kelly Nicholson said. “They did a good job late in the game.”

Entering the contest, it had been impossible to score on Falmouth starter Mark Pope (Georgia Tech). In his first two starts, he had thrown 13 shutout innings, struck out 16 and allowed a mere six hits.

The Firebirds came out bats ablaze against him.

Orleans attacked early and often and were able to get good swings on Pope's pitches. And the Firebirds got on base, but Pope reached back and shut the door before Orleans could string enough hits together to score runs.

Pope stranded seven runners in the first five innings. He allowed his first run of the season in the fourth inning when Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) led off with a solo home run. Pope allowed an RBI single in the fifth too.

In all, he pitched six innings, gave up 11 hits but only two runs.

Esposito was 4-for-5 at the plate and drove in three runs. Nicholson said he has the chance to be “one of the best offensive players” in the country.

With Pope out of the game in the seventh, Orleans quickly loaded the bases and took advantage.

The Firebirds' leadoff men, two brothers, Kevin and Danny Muno set the tone for Orleans. Older brother Kevin (San Diego), went 3-for-6 with a run, and Danny (Fresno State) was 5-for-6 with two runs and an RBI that drove home Kevin.

“They're just gamers,” Nicholson said.

Orleans starter Andrew Kittredge had his hands full with the top half of Falmouth's order. K.C. Serna (Oregon), Kevin Medrano (Missouri State) and Nick Martini (Kansas State) combined to go 7-for-12 with five RBIs and five runs scored on Friday night. And the trio produced the Commodores' only two runs last night.

After the sixth, with the game still tied 2-2, Nicholson turned and pointed to pitcher Marcus Stroman (Duke) and confidently said: “Stro you've got the seventh.”

Stroman knocked down the No. 9, 1 and 2 hitter in order, rewarding his coach's decision. The 5-9 right-hander two of the three batters he faced in the eighth, then finished off the ninth to seal the win.

“He just pounds the zone,” Nicholson said of Stroman. “He attacks. You can kind of see his mindset out there. He's in attack mode when he has the baseball.”

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